America's Coolest CitiesIn these trendy metros, nightlife is hot and the people are cool.

What do the Big Apple and Sin City have in common?According to a recent survey, they're both among the hippest places in the world.In fact, New York City and Las Vegas are the two coolest cities in the United States., tied for the No. 1 spot (with Seattle #3) in our annual measure of America's Coolest Cities.

To compile the list, market research company Harris Interactive conducted an exclusive poll for Forbes. In July Harris asked 2,104 adults from across the U.S. which of the 40 largest imetropolitan statistical areas in the country were "the coolest."

Seattle and King County Communities

King County Washington is located in the northwest corner of the United States, in the heart of the Puget Sound region. Comprised of shining cities, expansive suburbs and tranquil rural communities it is inhabited by a diverse, educated and cultured people. The county’s climate is mild and moderately moist. Winters ar...

The “hub” of King County is Seattle. Seattle is known internationally as one of a few, truly “world class” cities. From the arts to zoos, and the alphabet in between, Seattle is renowned for innovation and excellence.It is nearly 85 square miles in size and rests on a 2 to 6 ...

Snohomish County Communities

Snohomish County is located just minutes north of Seattle. Nestled between the sparkling waters of Puget Sound and the snow-capped peaks of the Cascade Mountains, it has some of the most beautiful scenery in Washington State. The populated part of Snohomish County boasts a temperate climate year-round, with an average pr...

Snohomish County’s largest city and seat of county government, Everett, sits on the shores of Port Gardner Bay, gazing across Puget Sound at the majestic Olympic Mountain range. It was once called the “City of Smokestacks” as it has a long association with industry and labor. It’s now an All Am...

Thurston County Communities

Thurston County is a vibrant and healthy community with its seat of government in the city of Olympia which is also the capital of the state. It is located at the south end of Puget Sound about 60 miles south of Seattle and 100 miles no...

Sixty miles south of Seattle, on the shores of south Puget Sound, rests Washington’s capital city, Olympia. For hundreds of years before the coming of the whites, the region was occupied by the Nisqually and Suquamish people. First settled by the newcomers in 1846, the ci...

Bellevue and Eastside Communities

The Eastside is the collective term for the highly independent, affluent eastern King County. It is comprised of 19 incorporated cities and unincorporated suburban and rural communities. The name derives from the fact that these communities all lie to the east of Lake Washington, except for Mercer Island, which lies wi...

The name Bellevue is derived from a French term for “beautiful view”. On warm sunny days scenic vistas of the Olympic and Cascade Mountains can be viewed from hilltops and high rises within the incorporated city. Bellevue lies between the deepest fresh water lake on the west coast, Lake Washington to...

Pierce County Communities

Pierce County is located just 30 miles south of Seattle and about the same north of the state capital of Olympia. It is the 2nd most populous county in the state. It is also home to the Puyallup Indian Tribe one of the most commercially successful Native American communities in th...

The Puyallup River flows from the slopes of Mount Rainier and enters Puget Sound in a broad delta at the head of Commencement Bay. For millennia the Puyallups lived along the river embracing a semi-nomadic and tribal lifestyle with governmental organization and land ownership unknown concepts in their culture. When th...

Puget Sound Military Bases

The State of Washington hosts several major military bases and significant installations of all branches of the military; many in the Northwest Metroplex or right next door. Pierce County is the home of Ft. Lewis and McChord Air Force Base (now officially Joint Base Lewis-McChord). Ki...

Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base, located on Washington’s south Puget Sound in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, have almost a century of military service.Camp Lewis was established in 1917 and became Fort Lewis in 1927. McChord Air Force Base started as McChord Army Air Fi...

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Moving to Greater Seattle

The Puget Sound region of Washington state is home to residents who live in bustling cities, suburbs and farmlands which extend north to south from Stanwood to Olympia. Puget Sound itself is a body of water which forms a complex and intricate system of channels, in...

Relocating due to a new job is often becoming a necessity and fact of life in today's job market. Often it is the primary wage earner who prompts this type of life altering move. The impact of a move for these reasons can have adverse ef...

When you are ready to move, planning carefully can save you hours of stress in the long run. When you know the date of your move, start planning! The following tips can help make your move to Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, Everett, Olympia or any of th...

Greater Seattle Homes

Building A Strong Foundation:
Imagine building your home on the sand. When the ﬁrst rainstorm blows through, your new home will most likely be washed out to sea. Without placing your home on a solid foundation you can not weather a disaster. Building a foundation of kn...

Window Shopping - Becoming a Savvy Borrower:
Every year misinformed consumers become victims of predatory lending or loan fraud. Don’t let this happen to you! In this section we will warn you about the common financial pitfalls, how to avoid them and provide you with some al...

Schools and Libraries

The Northwest Metroplex has a vibrant and growing community of private schools. The US Census reports that a third of first through twelfth graders participate in private education and Seattle has the highest rate of private school attendance in the na...

Choosing the best school district for a family does not have to be difficult, if you know what you’re looking for, if you keep in mind the needs of your child or children and if you know the right questions to...

Washington is home to six public four-year colleges and universities, 34 public community and technical colleges, and more than 300 independent colleges, universities, and career schools. Following is a list of degree-granting colleges and universities legally operating in Western Wa...

Public libraries are the local espresso stands for the mind. This makes the librarians the baristas, happily greeting customers, mixing up their various versions of their favorite brew and sending them on their way. But in today's library you're not li...

NW Medical Resources

The first hospital in the Pacific Northwest was founded in 1858 at Fort Vancouver in the Washington Territory. With the support of 16 women, whose husbands were employed by the Hudson Bay Company, Mother Joseph of the Sisters of Providence es...

Choosing a doctor can be a difficult and worrisome task, even under the best of circumstances. The doctor-patient relationship involves something that we value most, our health. This relationship has always been a sacred bond of trust, openness, and compassion an...

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